The Archbishop was speaking as he launched new guidance which states homophobia must not be tolerated in Church of England schools.

Schools can be among the most homophobic of places and the Church's schools need to do as much as they can to ensure that they are not turning a "convenient blind eye" to institutional homophobia, the new advice - published by the Church of England - warns.

But it goes on to say that while homophobic language and behaviour is unacceptable in Church of England schools, pupils, parents and staff who believe that homosexual acts are "less than God's ideal" should be allowed to express the view without being subjected to discrimination themselves.

The new guidance is part of fresh measures aimed at stamping out homophobic bullying in Church of England schools.

Archbishop Welby announced plans to draw up new advice on the issue less than a year ago, after expressing concerns about the impact of homophobic bullying on the lives of young people.

The new document, Valuing All God's Children, acknowledges that within the Anglican community there is a wide range of beliefs about homosexuality and that it is a "very divisive issue" for the Church.

But it adds that the purpose of schools is to educate, and they should be a safe and welcoming place for all children.

The guidance lists 10 recommendations for Church of England schools to help them deal with homophobic bullying, including ensuring that all staff are trained to recognise and deal with all types of bullying.

It goes on to say: "Schools should ensure that their behaviour policies include clear expectations that homophobic behaviour and language will not be tolerated and that there can be no justification for this negative behaviour based on the Christian faith or the Bible."

Research suggests that half of those who commit homophobic hate crimes are under 25 years of age, the document says, which indicates that young people are leaving education with attitudes that are "hateful and illegal".

The guidance warns: "Schools can be among the most homophobic social spaces. Studies in a range of countries show that young people are more likely to experience homophobic bullying at school than in the home or community.

"As far as possible we need to ask questions within our church schools to ensure that we are not turning a convenient blind-eye to institutional homophobia and allowing an unwelcoming social space for pupils to go unchallenged."

The advice does say that within a school, there can be many different views about human sexuality, adding that it needs to be acknowledged that this is a sensitive topic.

Further on, the document says that religious freedom can appear to be at odds with preventing discrimination.

"It can be, and has been, perceived that to hold the view that 'God, through nature, has indicated that heterosexual sexuality is the divinely ordained norm' is to be discriminatory against same-sex orientated people," it says.

"Yet thinking, believing or verbally expressing that belief is not in itself discriminatory. Church of England schools need to ensure that, whilst clearly working to be inclusive spaces where homophobic language, actions and behaviours are unacceptable, those pupils, parents and staff who believe that homosexual acts are 'less than God's ideal' are given the safe space to express those views without being subject to another form of discrimination."

It adds: "It is also equally important to communicate clearly to pupils and families that holding traditional faith perspectives on sexuality is not counter to the school's aims and ethos, but that expressing hatred, negativity and hostility to another is unacceptable."

Comments

His promise to tackle homophobic bullying is obviously a welcome one, but what is he going to do about the virulent transphobia in church schools - which also often have gendered dress codes and uniforms which are different for female and male pupils and therefore impact disproportionately hard upon trans and gender non-conforming children? There was a case in the paper the other week about a five-year-old boy whom (although not identifying as trans) was banned from a church after-school playgroup because he liked to wear princess dresses. Admittedly, that wasn't an Anglican school but a Catholic one - yet all denominations and organised religions frequently ostracise trans and gender non-confomring children from their peers simply for dress code violations such as these.

His promise to tackle homophobic bullying is obviously a welcome one, but what is he going to do about the virulent transphobia in church schools - which also often have gendered dress codes and uniforms which are different for female and male pupils and therefore impact disproportionately hard upon trans and gender non-conforming children? There was a case in the paper the other week about a five-year-old boy whom (although not identifying as trans) was banned from a church after-school playgroup because he liked to wear princess dresses. Admittedly, that wasn't an Anglican school but a Catholic one - yet all denominations and organised religions frequently ostracise trans and gender non-confomring children from their peers simply for dress code violations such as these.Katie Re-Registered

His promise to tackle homophobic bullying is obviously a welcome one, but what is he going to do about the virulent transphobia in church schools - which also often have gendered dress codes and uniforms which are different for female and male pupils and therefore impact disproportionately hard upon trans and gender non-conforming children? There was a case in the paper the other week about a five-year-old boy whom (although not identifying as trans) was banned from a church after-school playgroup because he liked to wear princess dresses. Admittedly, that wasn't an Anglican school but a Catholic one - yet all denominations and organised religions frequently ostracise trans and gender non-confomring children from their peers simply for dress code violations such as these.

Score: 2

RealLivin
1:21pm Mon 12 May 14

I am not a religious person and find most religious organisations "the route of all evil" as those that run them are corrupt, however I find most religious individuals are honest and upright citiziens. Yet here we are enforcing one minorities beliefs over some one else's. If gays are allowed to live their lives their way surely christian and any other organisation should be allowed to live by their beliefs. Its about time real life got involved, not every one agrees on everything and some people do not like or believe in certain things what right do you have to force them.

People should not be persecuted for their believes or way of living but you need to grow up and realise that others may not agree with you learn to accept that be tolerant and move on. Far to many of this worlds issues are down to people forcing their beliefs and ways onto others this is generally driven by religious leaders and politicians making issues out of things that are not issues.

I am not a religious person and find most religious organisations "the route of all evil" as those that run them are corrupt, however I find most religious individuals are honest and upright citiziens. Yet here we are enforcing one minorities beliefs over some one else's. If gays are allowed to live their lives their way surely christian and any other organisation should be allowed to live by their beliefs. Its about time real life got involved, not every one agrees on everything and some people do not like or believe in certain things what right do you have to force them.
People should not be persecuted for their believes or way of living but you need to grow up and realise that others may not agree with you learn to accept that be tolerant and move on. Far to many of this worlds issues are down to people forcing their beliefs and ways onto others this is generally driven by religious leaders and politicians making issues out of things that are not issues.RealLivin

I am not a religious person and find most religious organisations "the route of all evil" as those that run them are corrupt, however I find most religious individuals are honest and upright citiziens. Yet here we are enforcing one minorities beliefs over some one else's. If gays are allowed to live their lives their way surely christian and any other organisation should be allowed to live by their beliefs. Its about time real life got involved, not every one agrees on everything and some people do not like or believe in certain things what right do you have to force them.

People should not be persecuted for their believes or way of living but you need to grow up and realise that others may not agree with you learn to accept that be tolerant and move on. Far to many of this worlds issues are down to people forcing their beliefs and ways onto others this is generally driven by religious leaders and politicians making issues out of things that are not issues.

Score: -5

The Truth 101
9:51pm Mon 16 Jun 14

RealLivin wrote…

I am not a religious person and find most religious organisations "the route of all evil" as those that run them are corrupt, however I find most religious individuals are honest and upright citiziens. Yet here we are enforcing one minorities beliefs over some one else's. If gays are allowed to live their lives their way surely christian and any other organisation should be allowed to live by their beliefs. Its about time real life got involved, not every one agrees on everything and some people do not like or believe in certain things what right do you have to force them.

People should not be persecuted for their believes or way of living but you need to grow up and realise that others may not agree with you learn to accept that be tolerant and move on. Far to many of this worlds issues are down to people forcing their beliefs and ways onto others this is generally driven by religious leaders and politicians making issues out of things that are not issues.

Pandering to homophobes again are we? You know people like yourself who attempt to justify bigotry are often closet bigots yourselves.

Its a classic case of " I`M NOT RACIST BUT" and "I`M NOT HOMOPHOBIC BUT"

Anything before that "but" means nothing.

The thing is though you are not even hiding your prejudice that well at all, its all plain to see. Not once did you bother to condemn the homophobic assaults or bullying that LGBT children face which according to recent statistics is at endemic levels within schools across the country.

You`re just a typical homophobic sympathiser one of those who claims to have gay friends yet behind their backs you despise them because they don`t fit your traditional patriarchal narrow minded view of gender roles and choices.

If anyone needs to get a grip and grow up its people like yourself, homophobic crimes and incitement and discrimination are now against the law whether you like it or not because its not acceptable in modern Britain so move with the times because equality is going to prevail whether you like it or not and I say that as a straight heterosexual male myself.

Homophobic bigots like yourself have had your say over society for far too long it was people with similar attitudes to your own that once oppressed women and black people, yet they fort back and won just like gay people are doing now and guess what they are going nowhere.

[quote][p][bold]RealLivin[/bold] wrote:
I am not a religious person and find most religious organisations "the route of all evil" as those that run them are corrupt, however I find most religious individuals are honest and upright citiziens. Yet here we are enforcing one minorities beliefs over some one else's. If gays are allowed to live their lives their way surely christian and any other organisation should be allowed to live by their beliefs. Its about time real life got involved, not every one agrees on everything and some people do not like or believe in certain things what right do you have to force them.
People should not be persecuted for their believes or way of living but you need to grow up and realise that others may not agree with you learn to accept that be tolerant and move on. Far to many of this worlds issues are down to people forcing their beliefs and ways onto others this is generally driven by religious leaders and politicians making issues out of things that are not issues.[/p][/quote]Pandering to homophobes again are we? You know people like yourself who attempt to justify bigotry are often closet bigots yourselves.
Its a classic case of " I`M NOT RACIST BUT" and "I`M NOT HOMOPHOBIC BUT"
Anything before that "but" means nothing.
The thing is though you are not even hiding your prejudice that well at all, its all plain to see. Not once did you bother to condemn the homophobic assaults or bullying that LGBT children face which according to recent statistics is at endemic levels within schools across the country.
You`re just a typical homophobic sympathiser one of those who claims to have gay friends yet behind their backs you despise them because they don`t fit your traditional patriarchal narrow minded view of gender roles and choices.
If anyone needs to get a grip and grow up its people like yourself, homophobic crimes and incitement and discrimination are now against the law whether you like it or not because its not acceptable in modern Britain so move with the times because equality is going to prevail whether you like it or not and I say that as a straight heterosexual male myself.
Homophobic bigots like yourself have had your say over society for far too long it was people with similar attitudes to your own that once oppressed women and black people, yet they fort back and won just like gay people are doing now and guess what they are going nowhere.The Truth 101

RealLivin wrote…

I am not a religious person and find most religious organisations "the route of all evil" as those that run them are corrupt, however I find most religious individuals are honest and upright citiziens. Yet here we are enforcing one minorities beliefs over some one else's. If gays are allowed to live their lives their way surely christian and any other organisation should be allowed to live by their beliefs. Its about time real life got involved, not every one agrees on everything and some people do not like or believe in certain things what right do you have to force them.

People should not be persecuted for their believes or way of living but you need to grow up and realise that others may not agree with you learn to accept that be tolerant and move on. Far to many of this worlds issues are down to people forcing their beliefs and ways onto others this is generally driven by religious leaders and politicians making issues out of things that are not issues.

Pandering to homophobes again are we? You know people like yourself who attempt to justify bigotry are often closet bigots yourselves.

Its a classic case of " I`M NOT RACIST BUT" and "I`M NOT HOMOPHOBIC BUT"

Anything before that "but" means nothing.

The thing is though you are not even hiding your prejudice that well at all, its all plain to see. Not once did you bother to condemn the homophobic assaults or bullying that LGBT children face which according to recent statistics is at endemic levels within schools across the country.

You`re just a typical homophobic sympathiser one of those who claims to have gay friends yet behind their backs you despise them because they don`t fit your traditional patriarchal narrow minded view of gender roles and choices.

If anyone needs to get a grip and grow up its people like yourself, homophobic crimes and incitement and discrimination are now against the law whether you like it or not because its not acceptable in modern Britain so move with the times because equality is going to prevail whether you like it or not and I say that as a straight heterosexual male myself.

Homophobic bigots like yourself have had your say over society for far too long it was people with similar attitudes to your own that once oppressed women and black people, yet they fort back and won just like gay people are doing now and guess what they are going nowhere.

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